Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Takes $28.81 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Resona Asset Management disclosed a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 165,885 shares worth about $28.81 million in the first quarter.
• Marsh & McLennan reported Q1 earnings of $3.29 per share, topping estimates, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, and several analysts remained positive, with UBS and Cantor Fitzgerald both raising price targets.

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 165,885 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $28,810,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% during the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,307,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $178.81 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $216.32. The stock has a market cap of $86.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH) to $212, signaling confidence in further upside. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald also lifted its price target on MRSH to $218 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the shares still have meaningful upside. Benzinga report on Cantor Fitzgerald price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, a sign of strong cash generation and continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho modestly increased its price target to $197 while keeping a Neutral rating, adding to the overall analyst attention but offering a more balanced view. Benzinga report on Mizuho price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also formally declared the new quarterly dividend, payable in August, confirming the higher payout and supporting the stock’s income appeal. Dividend declaration details

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MMC is a global professional services firm headquartered in New York City that provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Founded in 1905, the company has grown into a diversified group of businesses focused on insurance brokerage and risk management, reinsurance, human capital and investment consulting, and management consulting. Its long history and scale position it as a prominent adviser to corporations, governments and other institutions seeking to manage risk and optimize human and financial capital.

The firm operates through several well-known subsidiaries and business units that specialize in distinct services.

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